Multi-function lounge chair cover for folding lounge chairs

ABSTRACT

A lounge chair cover designed to stay in a fixed position to both cover and easily shoulder carry a standard multi-position folding lounge chair at all times until taken off to clean, having a carrying strap, an embedded beach bag and side storage pockets having a top, middle and lower portion where as the top and lower portions have pockets that generally conform around the chair ends remaining securely snug to the chairs embodiment. The cover made of soft, absorbent and sturdy material protects the chair from rain, salt and heat extremes and offers extended comfort to the user by staying on the chair until easily removed by user when cleaning is necessary.

REFERENCES CITED U.S. Patent Documents

-   U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,785 November 1985 Duke, Jr et al. -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,540 July 1989 Pegram -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,288 October 1989 Lee -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,353 January 1990 Goddard -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,463 January 1994 Rocha -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,157 April 1997 Kostuk -   U.S. Pat. No. 387,939 December 1997 Tedesco et al. -   U.S. Pat. No. 416,429 November 1999 Kennard -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,234 November 2000 Daniels -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,225 September 2003 Graff

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to covers for metal frame and plastic tubing folding chairs, the cover being secured to the chair having pockets formed on chair ends, multi-pocketed side flaps for personal items, an embedded drawstring beach bag on upper portion of cover and a carrying strap attached to lower portion of cover allowing the easy and safe transportation of the entire chair, cover and personal items over the shoulder when the chair is folded.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Persons utilizing this popular folding chair at the beach, poolside or other sunbathing areas often cover it with a towel or other available cloth to make the surface of the chair more comfortable and to protect themselves from the extremely hot surface that ensues during usage in the sun, and to offer absorption of water and perspiration. Conventional towels have proved to be bothersome and unreliable as they fall off the chair, become dirty, sandy and consume time through endless re-applications. Conventional towels offer no advantages past a protective layer of cloth.

The chair itself is cumbersome and a bulky item to carry, usually limiting the user from carrying much else, such as beach bags, coolers, umbrellas, sport equipment and other personal effects one would usually carry to a beach or poolside. Several trips are often necessary to complete the transportation process of personal items to and from desired locations.

Prior art attempts have failed to deliver a design which offers the user the advantages to make them a practical purchase. Such attempts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,553,785; 4,877,288; 4,877,288; 4,892,353; 5,275,463; 5,624,157; 387,939; 6,149,234, 416,429 and 6,616,225 in which all fail to list a system in which to carry the lounge chair during transit. U.S. Pat. Nos. 416,429; 4,892,353; 4,877,288 and 4,553,785 list a means of temporary storage but fail to maintain that storage ability while the lounge chair is in transit. Prior art has failed to disclose a system in which to carry the folding lounge chair while maintaining usage of an embedded beach bag and side flaps allowing the user to have hands free for other uses. All of these prior art systems must be manually applied, re-applied, removed and themselves carried by other means each time the chair is transported to a new location adding inconvenience, planning and time restraining procedures to the end user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other disadvantages are overcome by my invention, which comprises an improved lounge cover with multi-function capabilities. My cover is made of sturdy breathable, woven absorbent fabric, which will not easily stretch, fray or tear from the frame of the lounge chair during transport or in lounging mode. It will properly support the weight of an individual and the weight of the chair and personal items while being carried. This cover fits snuggly to the metal frame lounge chair via two pocketed pouches which slide over the chair ends, one end noted as the upper portion containing a large mouthed drawstring closing beach bag on the underside of that portion, one end noted as the lower portion having the carrying strap sewn inside on opposite sides of the pouch opening, and a middle portion, noted as the middle portion having side flaps on each lateral side containing several individual pockets for storage of personal items.

This cover is designed to stay on the lounge chair while being transported. The design allows the cover to fold up with the chair as the lower portion folds up and in on the middle portion and then the upper portion folds up and in on top of the lower portion and the legs of the chair folded in allowing the convenient positioning of the carrying strap to be grabbed and placed over the shoulder. The beach bag drawstring is then pulled tight and secured fixed by a conventional cord stop keeping the mouth of the beach bag closed. The extra length of string generated by the tightening of the bag mouth is subsequently tied around the exposed plastic middle section of the metal frame chair, which will secure in place the upper portion of the chair and cover while in transit.

The cover consists of three portions, an upper portion, a lower portion and a middle portion. The upper portion is formed from the 1st layer of fabric being the elongated topside of the cover noted as the top panel, formed together with an underside apparatus noted as the bag panel having a drawstring channel, a drawstring and cord stop. The panels are sewn together on the sides and at the top only in a manner that leaves the mouth of the bag panel open having the drawstring channel unobstructed as to insert through it a ⅛″ string material later used as the beach bag drawstring, and an pouch opening at the reverse end to receive one end of the chair. Cord stop placed on the string. The bag panel is formed from a single section of fabric whose length across the top is 54″, length across the bottom is 44″ and height is 25″ by folding over 1″ of fabric across the top and sewing the fold in place creating a ½″ channel, then folding the left and right sides of the fabric section inwards having the two edges meet the middle and sewn along these two edges stopping just below the ½″ channel. The bottom edge of the section is then sewn across. The lower portion is formed from the opposite end of the top panel together with a 2nd layer of fabric of the same size and shape as the lower end of the top panel by sewing together the sides and top only creating a pouch opening to receive the other end of the chair. The middle portion of the cover consists only of the top panel whose middle portion is 10″ wider on each side than the upper and lower portions. This extra fabric, noted as the side flaps, is formed by folding the outside edge corners in toward the inside corners and sewing vertically along the edges and two times inward from those edges in a manner creating three pockets, two with an approximate width of 6″ and one with an approximate width of 11″ each with openings facing toward the center of the top panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an angled top perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the lounge chair cover according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom side plans view;

FIG. 3A is an angled rear perspective view showing the cover and beach bag opening in an open state;

FIG. 3B is an angled rear perspective view showing the cover and beach bag opening in a closed state;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view showing the folding motion of the chair and cover;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of chair and cover in a folded state ready for transport;

FIG. 6-8 shows a method of making the bag panel apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a close up view of the drawstring, drawstring channel and conventional cord stops;

FIG. 10-11 is a side view plan attaching the bag panel apparatus, lower panel and making of the side flaps; and

FIG. 12 is a top side plans view of the top panel of this cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the cover 10 of the present invention is shown fitted onto a conventional multi-position lounge chair 12. One method to make Cover 10, made of sturdy, absorbent, woven material, consists of an elongated top panel 11 which has 3 sections 11A upper portion, 11B middle portion and 11C lower portion, better shown in FIG. 12, is with side flaps 14, an underside bag panel 16 located at the upper portion 11A, and a lower panel 15, located on the underside of 11C.

Referring to FIG. 6-9, one method to make bag panel 16 consists of a fabric section 30 measuring 54″ across the top 32, 44″ across the bottom 35, and having a height of 25″. Begin by folding over a 1″ wide portion 31 vertically and evenly along the length of top 32 and sewn to the back portion 30 along the folded over top line 32, forming a channel 36 through the top edge of the fabric section 30. Sides 33 and 34 are then folded in toward the center of section 30 horizontally and evenly and sewn along the vertical edges of 33 and 34 only forming a seam 40. The bottom 35 is then sewn across horizontally. String material 38 is inserted in one end of channel 36 and pulled completely through, out the opposite end of channel 36. Both ends of string 38 are passed through cord stop 39, together and uniformly constructing the bag panel 16.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 2, the bag panel 16 is sewn to the under side of top panel 11A by sewing together the sides 5 and 6 of bag panel 16 uniformly and precisely to the sides of top panel 11A respectively and sewing the top interior back side 4 through the inside of mouth 17 of bag panel 16 just under previously mentioned top line 32 uniformly and precisely to top panel 11A, creating a pouch opening 7 along the edge not sewn. Lower portion 15 of the same size and shape, as top panel 11C are uniformly and precisely placed together and sewn along the sides 2 and 3 and around to top 1, creating a pouch opening 8 along the edge not sewn.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B bag panel 16 is shown on cover 10 completed and placed on chair 12 with FIG. 3A illustrating the bag panel mouth 17 in an open state and FIG. 3B illustrating the bag panel mouth 17 in a closed state shown with drawstring 38 pulled tight and bag mouth 17 securely held closed by cord stop 39.

Referring to FIG. 10-12, the side flaps 14, one on each side of cover 10, start out being 10″ wide across the length of top panel 11B, each flap extending from the center of top panel 11B outwardly and horizontally to edge 20. The outside corners 22A and 22B on Edge 20 of side flaps 14 are folded inward to inside corners 21A and 21B respectively on each side flap 14 and sewn along the folded edge 22E between corners 21A and 22A and folded edge 22F between corners 21B and 22B respectively on each side flap 14. Side flaps 14 are again sewn vertically forming seam 22C and 22D respectively on each side flap as to form pockets 23A, 23B and 23C respectively on each side flap such that pocket 23A and 23B are 6″ wide and 23C is 11″ wide.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the carrying strap 28, being made of a popular 1″ wide tightly woven flat strapping material having ends 41 and 42, are inserted into pocket opening 8 such that strap end 41 is attached at point 41A and strap end 42 is attached at point 42A where as each end is inserted and sewn along the seam line of panel 15 and top panel 11C at a depth of 2″ inside pocket opening 8.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 show the present invention in a mobile configuration, when ready to transport chair 12 via cover 10 begin first by folding up and in the side flaps 14 onto the middle portion 11B, then fold up and in lower portion 11C onto the middle portion 11B, then fold up and in upper portion 11A onto the top of lower portion 11C, retract the legs of chair 12 also noted as 12 and the entire apparatus is now ready for transport as shown in FIG. 5 allowing carrying strap 28 to be freely exposed. With bag mouth 17 in a closed state the drawstring 38 becomes longer and is of sufficient length to be subsequently tied by conventional means around exposed plastic material 50 of chair 12 there by holding and securing in place upper portion 11C. 

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A lounge chair cover with embedded beach bag with an opening where as the opening is opened and closed using a ⅛″ diameter drawstring of nylon, cotton or similar material where as said drawstring when pulled to close the mouth of the beach bag the said drawstring not only keeps belongings secure in bag but the length of the said drawstring is also used to secure around the other folded side of the folding chaise lounge chair in a manner that prevents the chair from falling open during transportation mode. 